Blacklist News: January 2014

A few bits and pieces for early January:

1.  Blacklist Compensation Scheme Talks have been put on hold over the holiday break but an alternative set of proposals is being drawn up by lawyers for our side to present as an alternative to the employers scheme. We expect the blacklisting firms to go for a media splash to announce the scheme sometime soon but any compensation scheme drawn up exclusively by the blacklisting companies without the support of the blacklisted workers and the trade unions has no credibility whatsoever. In what other situation would a criminal be allowed to decide the compensation for the victims or the level of penalty for the crime they committed?

We advise any blacklisted workers to have nothing to do with the employers blacklist compensation scheme - even if you are only interseted in finacial compensation, the final offer will be considerably better than the human rights abusing companies are offering at the moment. The High Court case is due back in court in mid April 2014 - so is likely to focus the minds of the companies when it comes to the compensation scheme. Watch this space for more updates.

2. Blacklisting campaign honoured:
The year long Crossrail dispute for the reinstatement of blacklisted and sacked UNITE shop steward Frank Morris has been named by Red Pepper magazine as one of the Top Success Stories of 2013. Well done Frank Morris, Well done UNITE, Well done everyone who helped in the campaign from across the globe.We are in good company because the other successes were the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign and the 3 Cosas. This recognistion goes alongside the other awards won by the Blacklist Support Group for our campaigning. BSG have also won a Robert Tressell Award at the Construction Safety Campaign AGM an Alan Award for campaigners of the year at Hazards National Conference and were nominated and short-listed for human rights camapign of the year at the Liberty Awards. The awards are recognition for all the hard work put in by supporters across the country - thank you all very much - please give yourself a big pat on the back. Full story: http://www.redpepper.org.uk/successes-from-2013/

3. Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool:
Blacklist Support Group protest Laing O'Rourke site at Alder Hey Hospital, East Prescot Road, Liverpool 8.00am Saturday, January 18th. Laing O'Rourke are one of the leading blacklisting companies, are a defendant in the High Curt and are currently refusing trade union recognition on the project. Crown House (Laing O'Rourke's M&E subsidiary) left the JIB in 2012 and are the only major electrical company in the UK refusing to work under nationally agreed terms and conditions. If you are in the NW region - please spread the word & join the NW Rank & File and the Blacklist Support Group for a big turn out.

4. Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance:
Blacklist Support Group is working alongside the family of Stephen Lawrence, the female activists sexually abused by undercover police, environmental and anti-racism campaigners calling for a full public inquiry into the role of police spies in subverting democratic legal protest movements. BSG have already submitted a complaint to the IPCC and are chasing other leads more details soon. http://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.wordpress.com/

5. News from America:
The US version of the HSE has just levied a massive fine on a US company for blacklisting a trucker who took firm to court after an accident. Why isn't the HSE taking legal action against British construction firms who blacklisted workers raising safety concerns and union safety reps? Full story: http://www.truckinginfo.com/news/story/2014/01/new-prime-fined-by-osha-for-retaliating-against-trucker.aspx

6. Reel News Film Night:
Blacklisting Film and videos of other Red Pepper success stories from 2013. 7:30pm Thurs 16th January The Grosvenor, Sidney Road, Stockwell, SW9 0TP The videos produced by Reel News and circulated on social media are an integral part of the Blacklist Support Group campaigning - please support Facebook event: REEL NEWS FILM NIGHT: SUCCESSES OF 2013 7.

Construction National Rank & File meeting: 1pm Saturday 1st February.
Jurys Inn,
Jamaica Street,
Glasgow, G1 4QG
Speakers include: Jackson Cullinane (UNITE), Louise Taggart (Families Against Corporate Killers), Dave Smith (BSG)

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/270361989780126/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular&source=18 .
Next Time:
i. More from the blacklisting investigation being carried out by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee.
ii. The judgement in the Smith v Carillion blacklisting case - can an agency worker win a claim against a firm that admits blacklisting him?

Remember to join our facebook group for even more regular updates. Keep the Faith Blacklist Support Group video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlCa8yQmZ70   blog: www.hazards.org/blacklistblog facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/groups/blacklistSG/